Frogless switch.



PATENTED SEPT. 10 1005.

s. A. RENSHAW. FROGLESS SWITCH.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. RENSHAW, OF TUNNELTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

FROGLESS SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed February 28, 1905. Serial No. 247,729-

To all whom, it 'may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. RnNsHAw, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tunnelton, in the county of Preston and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Frogless Switches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to railway-switches; and the object of the invention is to provide a switch of this character which is inexpensive in construction and may be adapted to any ordinary railroad with but few changes.

More especially the invention provides a single lever and spring-bolt-actuating means whereby the point rails may be moved in unison with the pivotal portion of one of the rails of the main track, and also the invention provides a bearing-plate for said pivotal portion, said plate having flanges on each side thereof to limit the swing of said pivotal portion.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the novel arrangement, adaptation, and combination of features, which will be hereinafter morefully described and then pointed out in the appended claim.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application, such letters of reference indicating like parts in the views, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a railroad, showing my improved switch and operating mechanism attached thereto; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bearing-plate for the pivotal portion of one of the rails.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter A and B respectively designate the rails of the main track, and C and D the rails of the side track. A portion E of one of the rails of the main track is cut, as at F and G, said portion being pivoted at G, this pivotal portion being swung into registration with one of the rails of the main track or one of the rails of the side track by mechanism which will be hereinafter described.

Oonnected at H to the pivotal portion of the rail is a rod H, the end of which is pivoted at H to a plate H", which is provided with three arms, (designated by letters I, I, and I lonnected at J to the other end of the pivotal portion of the rail is another rod J, the end of which is pivoted at J 2 to the arm I of the plate H To allow the pivotal portion of the rail to have a smooth surface, a bearing-plate K is provided, said plate being the shape of the letter X-that is to say, if the marginal edges of said plate were continued across one another they would appear to be the shape as above described. The sides of said bearing-plate are provided with flanges L, against which said pivotal portion will contact when the same is swung to one side or'the other for registration with the main rails or with the side rails.

Pivoted at M to the arm I of the plate H is a rod M, which in turn is pivoted at M to another plate N, similar in shape to the plate H said plate N having arms N, N and N Connected at O to the plate N is a rod 0, said rod being connected at O to a lever 0 which is pivoted to a vertically-disposed standard P, the upper portion of which is sextashaped. The upper edge of said standard is shaped on the arc of a circle, using the pivotal point of the lever O as a center, said upper portion of said standard being also provided with notches P and P which are provided for engagement by the spring-actuated bolt P upon the lever 0 said springbolt being operated by a handpiece Q, pivoted near the handle of said lever.

Q, and Q designate, respectively, the point rails which are pivoted at Q and Q, said point-rails being pivotally connected to each other by means of bars R and R, the end of the bar R extending a little to one side of the rail A of the main track and being connected to a rod S, which in turn is connected to the arm N of the plate l. Thus the construction as above set forth and described will be clearly understood by reference being had to the drawings.

It will be distinctly understood that various changes in the details of construction and combination of features may be made without in any way departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with the main track of a railway, having one-of the rails cut away, a plate, connecting the ends of the rails from which said section isremoved and flush with the bottoms of said rails, the edges of said 5 plate having inclined flanges, the inner ends of which are spaced apart, asectionalrail one of which rests upon said plate, switchpoints and connections between same and said rod, and an operating-lever for moving said pivotal rail-section and said switch-points, as I 5 set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my said plate, and having a lateral play limited by said flanges, a rod pivotally connected to 10 said sectional rail, and having a bearing in a groove in one of said flanges, siding-tracks,

I SAMUEL A. RENSHAV.

Witnesses PHIL BEAVERS,

RosA RENsHAw.

pivotally mounted at the middle portion of l signature in presence of two witnesses. 

